The Regional Secretary for Science, Technology and Infrastructures presided over the launching of the first philatelic emission titled “Lagoas dos Açores” (Azorean Crater Lakes), which took place today. This initiative was promoted by means of an agreement that was established between the CTT (Portuguese Post-Office) and the Institute for Nature Preservation and Biodiversity.

At the presentation ceremony, José Contente stressed the importance of this initiative, considering it as a means to promote distinctive elements of the Azorean landscape, inside and outside the country. 

“The CTT’s initiative is fundamental for the internal and external projection of the Azores, but it is also important for the preservation of our collective memory that is inextricably connected to our landscape, our nature, which the Government considers as a developing factor, for that reason we should use our resources to the limit of their sustainable use, optimising their management,” said José Contente.

As a reference to the preservation of the Azorean lake ecosystems, the Secretary emphasised the commitment of the Government concerning lake preservation, mainly through the investment to delay and reduce the eutrophication process. 

Due to the natural processes, any lake will go through several stages, so it is necessary to delay the natural eutrophication process and avoid, by all means, its acceleration, stated the Secretary.

He assured that “measures are being implemented in our lakes, so that we may preserve these lake ecosystems which play an important role not only in our life, but also in our economy and development.”

“The Government has made efforts to delay the natural process that occurs in any lake ecosystem,” thus simultaneously keeping the ecosystems as intact as possible, stated the Secretary.

José Contente praised the commitment of the CTT regarding the dissemination of the Azores through special philatelic emissions, which will boost “renewed optimism and hope for our Region, the goods things we have to offer, and this is the right way to do it.”

The Secretary stated that the tendency today is to convey hope and trust, because the world normally tends to “emphasise the negative aspects and society sometimes follows that tendency, but we do not need more prophets of doom,” hence “we need people who are able to emphasise the good things we have for our promotion; the things we preserve and the things we love on these Islands should remain as a developing factor.”

By paying a tribute to the National Post-Office, José Contente also said that the CTT have been playing an important role, regarding the accomplishment of this kind of initiatives and events which privilege landscape, ecosystems and the Azores’ own beauty and distinctive features.

Starting today, one million stamps will disseminate the beauty and the ecosystems of the Azores.